Keycard for automating transaction requests

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods of using a keycard for automating transaction requests are disclosed. Methods may comprise receiving a request for a product identification number that is associated with a product by inputting keycard information at a merchant terminal, wherein the keycard was selected from among a plurality of keycards and is associated with a specific provider and value; processing the request; transmitting a transaction confirmation; and retaining the keycard by the merchant. Systems may comprise a plurality of keycards maintained in the merchant&#39;s possession before and after automating a product request, wherein each keycard is pre-associated with a product identification number; a merchant terminal comprising an input device for inputting a product identification number from the keycard, and an output device for outputting a transaction confirmation; and a central processor configured to process a transaction request associated with the keycard and the product identification number; and deliver a transaction confirmation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/712,182filed on Nov. 11, 2003, which claims priority on U.S. application Ser.No. 10/411,971, filed Apr. 11, 2003, which in turn claims priority toU.S. application Ser. No. 09/641,363 filed Aug. 18, 2000 now U.S. Pat.No. 6,575,361 issued Jun. 10, 2003, which in turn claims priority toU.S. Provisional Application No. 60/149,740 filed Aug. 19, 1999, all ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference. This application also claimspriority to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/253,243 filed Sep. 24, 2002,which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/324,333filed Sep. 24, 2001 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/396,404filed Jul. 15, 2002, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.This application is related to International Application No.PCT/US02/30281 filed Sep. 24, 2002, U.S. application Ser. No. 10/655,828filed Sep. 5, 2003, and the application entitled “System And Method ForConfirming Transaction Or Billing Communications” filed Nov. 5, 2003under Attorney Docket No. 64243.000017, all of which are incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally related to processing transactionrequests. More particularly, the present invention is related to thedistribution of personal identification numbers (PINs) and/orstored-value cards between a plurality of users and a central processorover a communication network.

A customer may select a particular PIN defined by a variety ofcategories, such as a product type, amount, and brand name or product orservice provider. A merchant may be required to specify each category ofthe requested PIN by making a series of successive category selectionsin order to process the request. In the present invention, selecting aparticular keycard may replace the conventional steps of makingselections within those categories during the process of requesting astored-value card or PIN.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Stored-value cards such as prepaid phone cards and gift cards can bepurchased at merchant terminals, such as credit card terminals. In atypical stored-value card purchase transaction, the customer specifies astored-value card request. For instance, the customer may select aparticular stored-value card for purchase. The specific stored-valuecard is defined according to a variety of categories, such astransaction type, value, and service provider. For instance, a customermay request a new prepaid phone card from a specific provider, U.S.South, in the amount of $50. The merchant terminal requests from acentral processor a PIN representing value, such as a prepaid product orservice value. In order to specify this transaction request, themerchant may be required to make a series of selections at the merchantterminal, such as a credit card processing terminal. For instance, themerchant may be required to first select a type of product (such as aPIN for a prepaid phone card), a telecommunications service provider(U.S. South), and an amount of value ($50). The central processordelivers the PIN back to the merchant terminal. The merchant terminalprints the PIN on a receipt, and the receipt is provided to thecustomer.

The merchant terminal may comprise a screen that displays a variety ofmenu options, in a manner similar to the options displayed at an ATMmachine. The transaction request may involve several selections acrossseveral selection screens. At one menu screen, the merchant may select“prepaid phone card” from a variety of stored-value card options such as“prepaid phone card,” “prepaid gift card,” and other stored-value cardtypes. Selecting “prepaid phone card” at this menu may cause the screento display the next category, such as transaction type.

The merchant may select a “create new card” transaction type, which maycause the screen to display another category, such as telecommunicationsservice provider. The screen may then display a variety oftelecommunications service providers, such ABC Telecom, DEF Company, andU.S. South. Selecting a service provider may cause the screen to displaya variety of values, such as $20, $30, and $50, or it may enable themerchant to input a user-specified amount at a keyboard at the terminal.The merchant may then select $50 from among the various displayed values(or the merchant may manually input a value). The menu may then pass toa screen asking whether to proceed with a transaction to request a PINfor a new stored-value card for long-distance service provided by U.S.South in the amount of $50. Other selections and inputs may be required.For instance, to “refill value” of an existing card, the terminal mayrequire the stored-value card's existing PIN to be entered at theterminal.

The merchant would then request the terminal to proceed with thetransaction request. The terminal transmits the request to a centralprocessor. Once it receives the request, the central processor generatesor selects a PIN that corresponds to the specific stored-value cardrequest and transmit the PIN to the merchant terminal.

Prepaid phone card and other stored-value card transactions can beauthorized and confirmed over communication networks. For instance,transactions involving the delivery of identification numbers (such asPINs or passwords) or other products can be authorized overcommunication networks between one or more remote merchant terminals anda central processor. The PINs and/or other products can be deliveredover the same or another network. After a transaction, a party such asthe merchant or customer can be billed for the transaction after thetransaction is authorized and/or confirmed. By way of example, aconvenience store merchant may sell a calling card or PIN to a customer.During the sale, the convenience store merchant requests a PIN orcalling card authorization code from a central processor over atelephone network. The central station then processes the request andtransmits the PIN to the store merchant over the telephone network. Thestore merchant receives the PIN and delivers it to the customer.Finally, the central station bills the customer or merchant for theprice of the PIN.

Examples of communication networks include dedicated telephone lines,public switched telephone networks (such as those that provide automaticnumber identification (ANI)), the internet, any other computer networksuch as a WAN or LAN, and any other networked communication. The data ofthe stored-value cards is related to services and/or products paid orprepaid by the owner or end user of the card. Each of the stored-valuecards may be associated with a PIN. Examples of prepaid services thatmay be accommodated by a stored-value card include long distancetelephone communication, wireless communication, paging andinternet-enabled communication services, including wireless web access,emergency road service, legal service, accounting service, tax service,property cleaning and/or maintenance service, clothe cleaning service,transportation service, travel service, delivery service, online (oroff-line) dating service, electrical and/or gas service, water service,sewage service, internet access, and film processing (including digitalfilm processing). Other examples of prepaid services and/or productsthat may be accommodated by a stored-value card include gift cards,prepaid gas cards, prepaid grocery cards, prepaid entertainment cards,prepaid movie cards, downloadable ring tone cards, downloadable gamecards, downloadable movie cards, downloadable music cards that use MP3,MP4, WMV, WAV, or other music formats, any other downloadable softwarecard, customer rewards cards, bridge and/or road toll cards, and anyother type of stored-value cards for products, services, or both, thatmay be prepaid by the owner of the card.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A keycard is a card that is associated with a particular stored-valuecard, such as a prepaid long distance telephone card. A customer orclerk selects a keycard from among a variety of keycards, eachassociated with a particular type of stored-value card transaction. In apreferred embodiment, the keycard can be used in the purchase of aproduct associated with a PIN, such as a prepaid long distance telephonecard or other prepaid product.

One advantage of a keycard is that keycard information can be used toautomatically specify the parameters defining a particular transactionrequest. For instance, scanning a keycard's barcode (or swiping akeycard's magnetic stripe) may automatically specify variousstored-value card features, such as the type of stored-value card,amount of stored value, and brand.

Aspects of the invention include systems and methods of using a keycardfor automating transaction requests are disclosed. The methods maycomprise receiving a request for a product identification number that isassociated with a product by inputting keycard information at a merchantterminal, wherein the keycard was selected from among a plurality ofkeycards and is associated with a specific provider and value;processing the request; transmitting a transaction confirmation; andretaining the keycard by the merchant. The systems may comprise aplurality of keycards maintained in the merchant's possession before andafter automating a product request, wherein each keycard ispre-associated with a product identification number; a merchant terminalcomprising an input device for inputting a product identification numberfrom the keycard, and an output device for outputting a transactionconfirmation; and a central processor configured to process atransaction request associated with the keycard and the productidentification number; and deliver a transaction confirmation.

Other embodiments could be considered.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a system that can use a keycard in the distributionof stored-value cards according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a system that can use a keycard in the distributionof stored-value cards according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a method of using a keycard to automate a productrequest according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates the front side of a keycard according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates the back side of a keycard according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a system that can use a keycard in the distributionof stored-value cards according to one embodiment of the presentinvention. The system comprises one or more merchants 8, one or morepoint-of-sale merchant terminals 12, a merchant communication interface13, a communications network 10, a host bank 20, and a central processor28 comprising a processor 16 and database 18. As shown in FIG. 1, by wayof a communications network 10 and/or a point-of-sale merchant terminal12. The communications network 10 may comprise a public switched phonenetwork, a wireless network, a dedicated data circuit such as adedicated phone line, a credit or debit card network, the Internet, anintranet, etc., over which credit or debit card transactions areauthorized or denied. The point-of-sale merchant terminal 12 maycomprise a credit or debit card terminal, is used to send a request to astored-value card data management system 14, such as may be managed andoperated by the assignee of the present invention. The terminal's 12request may result when keycard information is input at the merchantterminal 12.

Central processor 28 may comprise a processor 16 coupled to a database18. The central processor 28 may comprise a host computer, a computerserver, a computer system with software applications that receivetransactions and process them according to preset rules, and any othercomputer system. The database 18 may store a plurality of recordscomprising stored-value card data for each stored-value card issued bythe assignee of the present invention. The plurality of records may alsocomprise keycard data for each keycard that may be used at the remoteterminals 12.

A respective requesting terminal 12 may send a keycard-related requestthrough a communications network 10 and/or a suitable host bank 20 tothe central processor 28. The host bank 20 may comprise any bank orother institution that can process keycard-related requests, such as arequest for a PIN enabling long distance telephone access. Thekeycard-related request could also be routed straight to thecommunications network 10 without passing through a host bank 20. FIG. 1shows an exemplary link architecture between the communications network10 and the central processor 28, optionally through the host bank 20.That is, the link architecture allows communication of card-related datafrom the merchant 8, to the communications network, which in oneexemplary embodiment would be the Visa network for a Visa-routedtransaction, to the host bank 20, and then to the central processor 28.It will be appreciated that other link architectures may be implemented,such as a host-to-host architectural connection. In this case, thecommunications network, such as a dedicated link or the internet, wouldbe directly between a merchant's 8 “host” system and a “host” system ofthe assignee of the present invention. Thus, the present invention isnot limited to applications that require a host bank 20 because ahost-to-host connection does not require any host bank 20 or Visanetwork to transfer the card-related data to the central processor 28.

The keycard-related request may include information about the keycardswiped and the terminal used to swipe it, such as the electronicsignature of that terminal, an IP address of the terminal, a phonenumber of the terminal, or a password provided by the terminal. Itshould be appreciated that other methods may be used to captureidentification of the card besides swiping it; for instance, theinformation can be barcode-scanned or entered manually at a keypad of acomputer. Further, merchant terminals 12 may be any system that cantransmit card identifier information over a communications network.Thus, merchant terminals 12 may comprise telephones, electronic cashregisters, credit card machines, fax machines, computers, or otherdevices that can receive and transmit information.

FIG. 2 illustrates a system that can use a keycard in the distributionof stored-value cards according to one embodiment of the presentinvention. The system comprises a keycard 20 and a merchant terminal 12operatively connected to a central processor 28. The merchant terminal12 may comprise any merchant terminal 12 used to processes transactions,such as a credit card terminal, ATM machine, computer, electronic cashregister, or any other merchant terminal 12 as described above forFIG. 1. The merchant terminal 12 comprises a terminal input 23 andterminal output 30, both operatively connected to a terminal processor24; and a terminal database/memory 26, also operatively connected to theterminal processor 24. The central processor 28 comprises a centralinput/output device 11 operatively connected to a processor 16, and acentral database/memory 18 operatively connected to the processor 16.The central processor 28 may comprise any central server used forprocessing transactions received from one or more merchant terminals 12,such as a central bank computer system or server, a credit card computersystem or server, an internet site, or any other suitable system 14,processor 16, or host bank 20 as described in FIG. 1.

The terminal input 23 is configured to receive keycard 20 information.The terminal input 23 may comprise a magnetic card reader, a barcode orother optical reader, a keyboard, or another input device capable ofinputting keycard 20 information. The terminal input 23 is configured topass received keycard 20 information to the terminal processor 24. Theterminal processor 24 is configured to receive information from theterminal input 23, and to output information to the terminal output 30.It is also configured to pass information to (and receive informationfrom) the terminal database/memory 26, which stores information.

The terminal processor 24 is configured to pass information, such as atransaction request and/or keycard information, to the central processor28 at its central input/output 11. The central input/output 11 passesreceived information to the processor 16. The processor 16 is configuredto process transaction requests, which may comprise generating a PINbased on received keycard or transaction information. The processor 16may also select a PIN from the central database/memory 18 based onreceived keycard or transaction information. The generated or selectedPIN and/or other transaction information is passed to the centralinput/output 11, which then passes the information to the merchantterminal 12 at the terminal processor 24. The other transactioninformation processed at the processor 16 may comprise additionalinformation about the transaction, such as price, transactionidentification information, and instructions regarding the use of thePIN or other transaction information. The instructions may comprise anidentification number or password, an internet site or phone number, andany other information that may be necessary or relevant for thetransaction.

The terminal processor 24 is configured to output the PIN and any othertransaction information at the terminal output 30. The terminal output30 may comprise a printer, display, or other output device. In apreferred embodiment, the terminal output 30 is configured to print areceipt for the customer showing a PIN and/or instructions for using thePIN.

FIG. 3 illustrates a method of using a keycard 20 to automate a productrequest according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In step 31, a keycard 20 is selected. The keycard may be any keycard 20as described herein, such as in FIGS. 4 and 5. The keycard 20 isassociated with a particular transaction. In a preferred embodiment, theassociated transaction is the purchase of a PIN. A PIN may comprise anyidentification number, password, code, or other information associatedwith a particular transaction. Preferably, a PIN is an identificationnumber used by a specific customer to access a product or service, suchas wireless telephone service. The PIN may be associated with astored-value card account.

The keycard 20 is selected in order to process the transactionassociated with the keycard 20. The transaction associated with aparticular keycard 20 may be defined by several variables, includingtransaction type, service provider, dollar amount, and/or anotherquantity such as an amount of time. The keycard may be selected fromamong a plurality of other keycards, which may be associated withdifferent transaction types, product or service providers, amounts, andother variables.

Transaction types may comprise refilling value of existing stored-valueaccount, redeeming value of an existing stored-value account, creating anew stored-value account, and activating a new stored-value account. Forinstance, one keycard 20 may be associated with a transaction whereinthe customer receives a PIN enabling the customer to access $30 ofprepaid wireless service provided by a particular service provider.Another keycard 20 may enable the customer to receive a PIN that enablesthe customer to add $20 of value to an existing account, wherein theaccount enables the customer to download music from a specific internetsite or service.

For instance, a keycard may be selected to process a transactionrelating to the purchase of a PIN that enables $30 of long distancetelephone service with a particular telecommunications service provider.The keycard 20 may be associated with a particular SKU, barcode number,or other identification number. The keycard 20 may comprise a barcodeprinted on the card and/or a magnetic stripe storing barcode or otheridentification information. In a preferred embodiment, the keycard isnot initially associated with a PIN.

The keycard 20 may be selected by a customer at a merchant store. Forinstance, a variety of keycards 20 may be displayed at a merchant store,e.g., at a counter display or aisle display, or at a display near themerchant terminal 12 which is only accessible to the merchant'semployees. A customer may select one card 20 from among the variety ofkeycards.

The customer may then bring the keycard 20 to a merchant terminal 12 inorder to process the transaction associated with the keycard 20. Inanother embodiment, a merchant may select a keycard 20 from among avariety of keycards, for instance at the request of a customer. Thecustomer may request a particular keycard transaction by describing thedesired transaction, and the merchant may select the appropriate keycard20 based on the customer's request.

The keycards 20 may be located near the merchant terminal 12 in order toallow the merchant easy access to the keycards 20 when the customerrequests a particular keycard 20. To facilitate quick access to thekeycards 20, the keycards 20 may be attached to a ring so that themerchant can flip through the keycards 20 and quickly select the desiredkeycard. The keycards 20 may be color-coded to further facilitate quickselection and avoid confusion. For instance, one keycard 20 associatedwith a particular type of PIN may be colored bright red, so that themerchant or customer may quickly find and select the keycard 20 bysearching for a red-colored keycard 20. Alternately, all keycards 20associated with a particular service provider may have a particularcolor, style, size, or texture to enable easy identification from amongthe other keycards and/or other merchant products.

Alternately, the customer may select a particular “dummy keycard” fromamong a variety of “dummy keycards” displayed at the merchant store,wherein each dummy card is associated with a particular keycard. Forinstance, a keycard used for requesting a $50 long distance PIN may havea nearly identical dummy card on display. However, the “real” keycard 20can be used to process a transaction, e.g., by scanning its barcode,whereas the dummy card will identify the appropriate transaction butwill not otherwise have the necessary elements to trigger thetransaction at the merchant terminal 12, such as barcode information orthe information stored on a magnetic strip. The customer could select adummy card and present it to the merchant at the merchant terminal 12.The merchant would then select a “real” keycard 20 associated with thedummy card and begin to process the transaction.

Using a “dummy” keycard has several advantages. First, dummy cards maybe lost or stolen with little or no harmful effect to the merchant orissuer of stored-value card accounts. The “real” keycards 20 are keptsecure in the possession of the merchant, e.g., “behind the counter”.The “real” cards may be used over and over again, as they might never bepassed to the customer, and the merchant may keep them after eachtransaction. The dummy cards may be less expensive to produce since theydo not require a barcode or magnetic strip. The dummy cards may bere-usable; e.g., after a customer brings a dummy card to the merchant ormerchant terminal 12, the dummy card may be retained by the merchant andrestocked in the merchant store. In another embodiment, the dummy cardcan be used for the receipt, and the merchant terminal 12 may print thePIN or other information on the dummy card. In this case, the customermay keep the dummy card at the end of the transaction, as describedbelow in step 36.

Using dummy cards may also save time for the merchant. The customerselects the keycard 20 before approaching the merchant, rather thanafter. Finally, the use of a dummy card can prevent errors due tomiscommunication. When customers and merchants often do not speak thesame language, the use of a dummy card can facilitate a transaction bysignaling the customer's choice without requiring the customer tootherwise communicate the selection. The merchant can merely look at thedummy keycard and use the associated “real” keycard 20 to process thetransaction.

The dummy cards may be colored and designed similar to their associatedkeycard 20. In this way, a customer may select a particular dummykeycard, and the merchant can quickly find the appropriate keycard 20 bysearching for a keycard that looks like the dummy card. This has anadded advantage of overcoming communication barriers and confusion, asthe customer and merchant do not need to communicate verbally providedthat the merchant can see the dummy keycard selected by the customer.

In step 32, keycard 20 identification information is input at themerchant terminal 12. In a preferred embodiment, keycards 20 comprisinga magnetic strip and/or barcode may be swiped at merchant terminals 12equipped to read magnetic strips and/or barcodes. If the keycard 20 hasa printed identification number, the number may be entered manually atthe terminal, for instance at a terminal keypad.

In step 33, the merchant terminal 12 transmits the keycard informationto a central processor 28. The central processor 28 may be any centralprocessor 28 as described herein. The information may be transmittedover the internet, over a public switched telephone network (e.g., viamodem), on a dedicated data line, or on another communication network10.

In step 34, the central processor 28 processes the keycard informationand selects a PIN. In a preferred embodiment, the keycard is notassociated with a PIN prior to this step. The central processor 28 mayprocess the keycard information in order to determine the appropriatetransaction or PIN type. In one example, the merchant terminal swipesthe magnetic strip or scans the barcode of a keycard 20 associated witha particular transaction, as described above in step 32. The merchantterminal transmits the keycard identification information to the centralprocessor 28 in step 33. The central processor 28 receives the keycardinformation and determines the transaction request associated with thekeycard information. For instance, if the keycard 20 is associated witha new PIN for $30 of wireless telephone service from US SouthCommunications, then the central processor will read the receivedkeycard information and determine that it refers to a new PIN for $30 ofwireless telephone service provided by US South Communications. Based onthis determination, it will select a PIN associated with the transactionrequest. In this example, the central processor would select a PINassociated with $30 of wireless telephone service provided by US SouthCommunications.

In step 35, the central processor transmits the PIN and/or othertransaction information to the merchant terminal. The medium ofcommunication may be any communication network.

In step 36, the merchant terminal delivers the PIN and/or othertransaction information to the customer. For instance, the merchantterminal may display the PIN and/or other information to the customer ona screen. It also may print the PIN and/or other information at aprinter at the merchant terminal. In a preferred embodiment, themerchant terminal prints a PIN on a receipt provided to the customer atthe end of the transaction. The receipt may comprise a dummy card. Thecustomer may later use the PIN in one or more of the ways discussedabove, such as by activating and using an amount of long distancecalling time or downloading music from an internet site.

FIG. 4 illustrates the front side of a keycard 20 according to oneembodiment of the present invention. The front side of the keycard 20may comprise a keycard title 41, a brand (or carrier) 42, a value 43, atransaction type 44, a product type 45, a bar code 46, a bar codeidentifier 47, a magnetic strip 48, and a hole 49 for attaching multiplekeycards 20. The keycard 20 may be any size and may be comprised of anymaterial. Preferably, the keycard 20 comprises plastic and has a sizesimilar to that of a credit card or small envelope.

Any information related to the keycard 20 or the associated transactionmay be displayed on either side of the keycard 20. For instance, itemsshown in FIG. 4 on the front side may instead (or in addition) be on theback of the card, and vice versa.

FIG. 5 illustrates the back side of a keycard 20 according to oneembodiment of the present invention. The back side of the keycard 20 maycomprise a keycard title 51, a brand (such as a carrier or serviceprovider) 52, a value 53, information about the keycard 20, transaction,or PIN 54-57, and a hole 58 for attaching multiple keycards 20.Information about the keycard 20 may comprise: disclaimer information 54such as “no value until activated at register;” advertising 55, such asa description of other products available in the store or with aparticular brand; descriptions of sources of additional information 56,such as a message indicating a website that describes furtherinformation about the keycard 20 or a keycard transaction; andinstructions to the customer or merchant 57, such as an instruction tofollow the directions on the PIN receipt. The hole 49 on the front sideis also visible on the back side.

It will be understood that the specific embodiment of the inventionshown and described herein is exemplary only. Numerous variations,changes, substitutions and equivalents will now occur to those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. For instance, any of the communications described above, suchas delivering a PIN, may be encrypted communications, and the centralprocessor and remote terminal may use any encryption and decryptionapparatus and techniques in the art. In particular, the terms used inthis application should be read broadly in light of the similar termsused in the related applications. For instance, the point-of-saleterminals 12 may be any kind of terminal as disclosed in the relatedapplications, and the processor may be any kind of processor asdisclosed in the related applications. Accordingly, it is intended thatall subject matter described herein and shown in the accompanyingdrawings be regarded as illustrative only and not in a limiting senseand that the scope of the invention be solely determined by the appendedclaims.

1. A method for automating a product request, the method comprising:receiving a request for a product identification number that isassociated with a purchasable product prior to the receiving action,wherein the request was generated by inputting keycard information at amerchant terminal of a merchant, wherein the keycard was selected fromamong a plurality of keycards, wherein each keycard is associated with aspecific provider and a specific value; processing the request;transmitting a transaction confirmation associated with the keycard tothe merchant terminal; and retaining the keycard by the merchant afterthe transmitting step.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transactionconfirmation comprises a PIN or password.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein the transaction confirmation is associated with a prepaidcalling card.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the keycard comprises abarcode on the keycard, and the request is associated with the barcode.5. The method of claim 2, wherein the request comprises a productidentification number associated with a barcode, the barcode is printedon the keycard, and the step of inputting comprises scanning thebarcode.
 6. The method of claim 2, wherein the product informationnumber is stored on a magnetic strip, and inputting the keycardinformation comprises swiping the magnetic strip.
 7. The method of claim3, wherein the keycard is associated with a specific telecommunicationsservice provider.
 8. The method of claim 2 wherein the transactionconfirmation comprises instructions for using a PIN associated with astored-value account, and the PIN is associated with the keycardinformation.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the keycard informationis associated with at least one of a stored-value card and a PIN. 10.The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one of a stored-value cardand a PIN is associated with a gift card.
 11. The method of claim 9,wherein the at least one of a stored-value card and a PIN is associatedwith a prepaid gas card.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the at leastone of a stored-value card and a PIN is associated with a prepaidgrocery card.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one of astored-value card and a PIN is associated with a prepaid entertainmentcard.
 14. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one of astored-value card and a PIN is associated with a downloadable ring tonecard.
 15. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one of astored-value card and a PIN is associated with a downloadable game card.16. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one of a stored-valuecard and a PIN is associated with a downloadable music card.
 17. Themethod of claim 9, wherein the at least one of a stored-value card and aPIN is associated with a downloadable music card that uses MP3, MP4,WMV, or WAV formats.
 18. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least oneof a stored-value card and a PIN is associated with a customer rewardscard.
 19. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one of astored-value card and a PIN is associated with telecommunicationsservice.
 20. A system for automating a product request, comprising: aplurality of keycards maintained in the possession of a merchant beforeand after automating a product request, wherein each keycard ispre-associated with a product identification number; a merchant terminalcomprising an input device for inputting a product identification numberfrom the keycard, and further comprising an output device for outputtinga transaction confirmation associated with a product identificationnumber; and a central processor configured to: process a transactionrequest associated with a keycard and the product identification numberassociated with the keycard; and deliver a transaction confirmation tothe merchant terminal.
 21. The system of claim 20 wherein thetransaction confirmation comprises a PIN.
 22. The system of claim 20wherein the transaction confirmation is associated with a request tochange the value of a stored-value account.
 23. The system of claim 20wherein the transaction confirmation comprises instructions for using aPIN associated with a stored-value account, and the PIN is associatedwith the product identification number, and wherein the keycard isassociated with a product or service provider and a value.